


Strange Bedfellows

by failytales



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: #TeamKick, Female Friendship, Kayfabe Compliant, One Shot, Other, Short One Shot, Uneasy Allies, WWE NXT, fingers crossed, no smut/romance despite what the title might suggest, or not bc this is a new development and idk where its going
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2018-05-16
Packaged: 2019-05-07 23:26:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14681676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/failytales/pseuds/failytales
Summary: Dakota isn't used to Nikki, but Nikki isn't used to being alone.(Inspired by a segment from NXT, 5/9/2018)





	Strange Bedfellows

If she were stronger, Dakota thought, she’d have done something. 

Stood up to Shayna. Challenged her, or retorted, or kicked her in that creepy black mouthguard of hers. Anything but what she’d actually done, which was nothing. Nothing except cower and run away. 

Gritting her teeth, Dakota sent another ferocious jab at the punching bag she’d been wailing on like it owed her money. Shayna was tough, sure, but she wasn’t anything especially scary. So she had a title, so what? A lot of people had titles. Winning a match wasn’t that hard if you were any good. A vicious kick sent the bag spinning, knocking against the concrete wall, and Dakota followed it up with a barrage of punches. _I beat people up for a living. What makes her any different?_

Shayna was different, though, and she knew it. It wasn’t just that she was big and scary; that Dakota could deal with, had dealt with. No, it was something else. Something about that smirk she always wore in the ring. It made Dakota feel like she was dinner, a cornered deer about to get torn to pieces by a ravenous wolf. Like Shayna was imaging all the horrible things she could do to her, and couldn’t wait to carry them all out--which you knew she was more than capable of. 

The thought made Dakota falter, and she grunted as the bag whacked her in the stomach. She kicked it in revenge. _She’s not even here, girl, get a hold of yourself._

“AAAAIIIEEE!!!!”

The shriek startled Dakota out of her reverie. She spun, hands already flying up to defend herself. The kick she sent toward the dark blur hurtling toward her missed. Instead of taking advantage, the blur flew past her. It attached to the punching bag, kicking, jabbing, and clawing at the dense leather. Dakota watched, slightly stunned, as whoever-it-was tore into the bag until it detached entirely from its chain and thudded to the floor. The stranger continued their assault for another few seconds, until they finally seemed to tire, breathing hard and growling low in their throat.

Still straddling the fallen bag, Nikki Cross looked up at Dakota with a wide-toothed grin. 

The two stared at each other for what felt like minutes. Nikki was giggling in between labored breaths, as though they were sharing some immensely funny joke. It was Dakota who eventually broke the near-silence. 

“...Good...good job?”

This elicited a louder peal of laughter. Dakota frowned, shifting from foot to foot. She didn’t know Nikki all that well; the other woman spent most of her time with the rest of SAnitY, and as far as Dakota knew, she barely spoke to the rest of the women’s roster. Thinking back, Dakota could only recall one substantial interaction with Nikki - well, aside from this one - and it had occurred only hours previously, after an impromptu post-match interview. No words had passed between them. Nikki had just laughed at her. 

Whatever she was playing at, it was getting old fast.

Dakota cleared her throat. “Do you, um. D’you want something?”

Still cackling, Nikki rolled off of the bag and onto her back, scrunching her face and kicking her feet in the air. Like a little kid, Dakota thought. But one of those weird little kids that likes to eat spiders and roast anthills. 

Whatever Nikki was up to, Dakota decided she wanted no part of it. Heaving a sigh, she grabbed her towel off the nearby rack and turned to go.

Nikki’s hand caught her ankle, and she spun around, glaring down at her. “What?”

“You need friends.”

Nikki was smiling up at her, sitting crosslegged on the floor. Dakota’s bewildered expression made her giggle again, rocking back and forth excitedly. Dakota hugged herself defensively, shaking her ankle free and backing up a few steps. “I have friends,” she replied.

Something about the way Nikki was looking at her made her skin prickle. More specifically, the way Nikki was looking at her right arm. It made Dakota’s stomach turn, and she reflexively cradled the limb to her chest. The tape was gone from her shoulder, but the way the other woman’s eyes were boring into the joint was making it hurt anew, as though it hadn’t been months, but mere minutes since Shayna had - 

Dakota flinched violently at the thought, and shook herself, trying to chase the memory away. Heart pounding, her gaze flicked to the door, as if the NXT Women’s Champion could be summoned from just the smell of her fear. She caught a glimpse of Nikki in her periphery, nodding knowingly. Shaken, cheeks burning, Dakota looked down, expecting more laughter at her expense.

It didn’t come. Instead, the other woman was looking at her almost seriously, her constant manic grin having diminished into a wry smile. 

“I need friends.” 

Dakota’s surprise must have shown on her face, because Nikki laughed again, this time a short, sharp bark. It almost sounded...sad?

That was right. The rest of her stable had gone to the main roster, hadn’t they? Dakota remembered hearing their names among the other call-ups. She hadn’t seen much of Nikki after that, and just assumed she’d be going with them. Evidently, she’d been wrong.

Dakota shook her head, dumbfounded. Out of all the outcomes to this conversation, an implicit request for an allegiance hadn’t even seemed like an option. Because, that was what she wanted, right? ‘Friends?’ But then, why pick her, of all people? Dakota rarely doubted her own skills, but this seemed almost random. Why should Nikki come to her, and not to somebody already at the top of the division?

Why not pick somebody like Shayna?

Nikki was getting to her feet. Dakota opened her mouth - what she would say, she hadn’t quite decided - but Nikki had already passed her before she could get the words out.

“Think about it, aye?”

Still stunned, Dakota turned to watch her go. By the time she found her voice again, Nikki was almost to the door. “...Wait a sec.”

Nikki paused, glancing over her shoulder and wiggling her eyebrows. Dakota opened her mouth and then shut it again, still uncertain.

“Y-...um. Alright,” she managed at last, twisting her towel in her hands. 

It was a lame answer, but it seemed to satisfy. Nikki flashed her teeth again, and pushed open the door. Her burbling giggle hung in the air long behind her. 

After a while, Dakota followed.


End file.
